Broadband
speeds for internet users in America are often woeful in comparison
to the speeds found in other countries around the world. The FCC is
working hard to get faster broadband connections all around the
country, especially to the poor and those that live in rural
areas.

Vendors are also working hard to increase the speed of
our web connections using existing methods while other firms work on
faster speeds with new technology like fiber optic and wireless
connectivity. Today, the majority of fixed-line internet is served by
copper cables that have been around for decades.

As various
vendors that make the hardware that allows broadband over cable wires
using DSL technology make
technological breakthroughs, the speeds consumers can get
are growing. Nokia Siemens recently announced that it could transmit
data at up to 825Mbps using copper wires for a distance of 400
meters. Huawei has also announced that it has been able to transmit
data at up to 700Mbps over the same distance.

The fastest
speeds in tests have been from Alcatel-Lucent with the ability to
send data at 910Mbps over 400 meters. These fast speeds are achieved
using different methods. One of the methods reports PC
World
is VDSL2 (Very high bit-rate digital subscriber Line) that sends data
over several copper pairs at one time. The VDSL2 method also uses DSL
Phantom Mode to create a third virtual copper pair to send more data
over along with the two copper pairs.

Phantom Mode reportedly
causes crosstalk that the vendor then has to eliminate using noise
canceling tech very similar to the tech used by noise canceling
headphones. The tech monitors noise on the copper pairs continuously
and generates its own signal to cancel the noise out. The vendors
getting some of the highest speeds are using copper wire with four
pairs inside, but that wiring is not readily available making the
dual pair approach more realistic.

Sending data across
two copper pairs is good for data speeds up to 390Mbps over 400
meters and vectoring can increase that distance to 1,000 meters.
Products using these new techniques are starting field trials with
providers now and should be in the commercial space for consumers
next year.

Fiber
optic web connections are already available at 1Gbps
speeds in some areas.

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